LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION celebrating the life and accomplishments of Ramb-
lin' Lou Schriver, the father of country music in Western New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to mourn publicly the
death of prominent citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and
civic endeavors served to enhance the quality of life in this great
Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Ramblin' Lou Schriver, the father of country music in Western
New York, died on Sunday, January 17, 2016; and
WHEREAS, This self-taught musician and singer got his first guitar at
age nine when his father, a barber, traded a haircut for a guitar, and
then in 1947, when he was still a high school teenager, Lou Schriver
landed a live 15-minute music radio segment at WJJL in Niagara Falls;
and
WHEREAS, Wearing his trademark Stetson hat, Ramblin' Lou Schriver got
his start in the music business playing parties and barn dances, and
when it "wasn't cool to be country" he championed country music by book-
ing and promoting other country artists such as Johnny Cash, Merle
Haggard, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Sr. and others at venues like
Kleinhans Music Hall; and
WHEREAS, After serving in the United States Army in the late 1950s,
Lou Schriver met and married the love of his life, Joanie Marshall, a
trained and accomplished musician; together they raised three daughters,
Linda Lou, Lori Ann and Lynn Carol, and a son, Louis Edward, all of whom
were destined to become part of the Ramblin' Lou legacy; and
WHEREAS, Before long, Ramblin' Lou Schriver was joined on the main
stage at shows, fairs, festivals and charity events by the Ramblin' Lou
Family Band featuring Joanie on lead guitar, Lou Jr. on the drums, Lori
Ann on the violin, Lynn Carol on the keyboards and Linda Lou on the bass
and vocals; and
WHEREAS, In 1970, Ramblin' Lou Schriver purchased a local radio
station and changed the call letters to WXRL, his initials, and for
almost 70 years Ramblin' Lou and his family-staffed independent radio
station has broadcasted classical country music over the airwaves of the
Western New York region reaching listeners as far away as Rochester,
Pennsylvania, and Toronto; and
WHEREAS, Highlights of Ramblin' Lou Schriver's career include perform-
ances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and the Jamboree held by
historic WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia; he was also inducted into the
Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and
Nashville's Country Music Disk Jockey Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Ramblin' Lou Schriver leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
celebrate the life and accomplishments of Ramblin' Lou Schriver, the
father of country music in Western New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Ramblin' Lou Schriver.